A Christian Directory

He is poring and groping about, and can make little of any thing, but is bewildered, and moithered and entangled the more: full of doubts, and difficulties, out of which he cannot find the way. 20. He is endless in his scruples: afraid lest he sin in every word he speaketh and in every thought, and every look, and every meal he eateth, and all the Clothes he weareth: And if he think to amend them, he is still scrupling his supposed amendments: He dare neither travel, nor stay at home; neither speak nor be silent; but he is scrupling all: as if he were wholly composed of self perplexing scruples. 21. Hence it comes to pass that he is greatly addicted to superstition; to make many Laws to himself that God never made¹ him; and to ensnare himself with needless Vows, and resolutions, and hurtful austerities, Touch not▪ taste not, handle not; and to place his Religion much in such Outward self-imposed tasks: to spend so many hours in this or that act of devotion, to wear such clothes, and forbear other that are finer; to forbear all diet that pleaseth the appetite, with much of the like: A great deal of the Perfection of Popish devotion proceeded from Melancholy, though their Government come from Pride and Covetousness. 22. They have lost the power of Governing their thoughts by Reason: so that if you convince them that they should cast out their self-perplexing unprofitable thoughts, and turn their thoughts to other subjects, or be vacant; they are not able to obey you: They seem to be under a necessity or constraint: They cannot cast out their troublesome thoughts: They cannot turn away their minds: They cannot think of Love and mercy: They can think of nothing but what they do think of, no more than a man in the Tooth-ache can forbear to think of his pain. 23. They usually grow hence to a disability to any private prayer or meditation: Their thoughts are presently cast all into a confusion, when they should pray or meditate: They scatter abroad a hundred ways; and they cannot keep them upon any thing: For this is the very point of their disease; a distempered, confused fantasy, with a weak reason which cannot govern it. Sometime terror driveth them from Prayer: they dare not hope, and therefore dare not pray: and usually they dare not receive the Lords Supper; here they are fearfullest of all:

He is poring and groping about, and can make little of any thing, but is bewildred, and moithered and entangled the more: full of doubts, and difficulties, out of which he cannot find the way. 20. He is endless in his scruples: afraid lest he sin in every word he speaketh and in every thought, and every look, and every meal he eateth, and all the Cloaths he weareth: And if he think to amend them, he is still scrupling his supposed amendments: He dare neither travel, nor stay at home; neither speak nor be silent; but he is scrupling all: as if he were wholly composed of self perplexing scruples. 21. Hence it comes to pass that he is greatly addicted to superstition; to make many Laws to himself that God never made